# Traefik

Reverse proxy and load balancer that routes traffic to Docker containers.

- Replaces: [AWS Application Load Balancer](https://openlogs.fyi/alternatives/aws-application-load-balancer)
- Summary: Paid managed reverse proxy and load balancer services, such as AWS Application Load Balancer.
- Stack: Go (language)
- Deployment: docker_compose
- License: MIT (osi) [source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/LICENSE.md)
- Business model: unknown. The README at the pinned commit does not state a business model, so it stays unknown. ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/README.md), read 2026-10-22)
- Difficulty: easy. 1 service, 1 volume mount, no env values to set, host access: docker_socket. Heuristic score 1 of 11: easy.
- Requirements: not stated
- Repository: [traefik/traefik](https://github.com/traefik/traefik)

## Install

1. Docker with the Compose plugin ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md#L35-L49))

   ```text
   A host with Docker and the Docker Compose plugin. This entry runs from a compose file.
   ```

2. Save the code block as docker-compose.yml ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md))

   ```yaml
   # docker-compose.yml
   services:
     traefik:
       image: traefik:v3.7
       command:
         - "--api.insecure=true"
         - "--providers.docker=true"
         - "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
       ports:
         - "80:80"
         - "8080:8080"
       volumes:
         - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
   ```

3. What the compose file check ran with ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md#L35-L49))

   ```text
   This compose file is copied unchanged from the code block in https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md#L35-L49. The check ran on that block alone. The getting started guide for Docker shows this docker-compose.yml and tells the reader to run docker-compose up -d.
   ```

4. Start it ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md))

   ```bash
   docker compose up -d
   ```

5. Open the app ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md))

   ```text
   Open http://localhost:8080. The compose file publishes host port 8080 for the traefik service. The guide says port 8080 serves the dashboard and marks that setting as for development use only.
   ```

Compose file check: config_ok on 2026-10-22.

## Gotchas and maintenance

### Gotchas

- The compose file publishes host ports: Host ports: 80 (traefik), 8080 (traefik). A port without a host address listens on all host network interfaces. ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md), checked 2026-10-22)
- Some services get elevated host access: traefik mounts the Docker socket, which gives it control of Docker on the host. ([source](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md), checked 2026-10-22)

### Signals

Computed from a GitHub snapshot taken 2026-10-22.

- Open issues and pull requests: 960
- Stars: 65321, forks: 6259
- Last push: 2026-10-22 (0 days ago)
- Latest release: v3.7.16 on 2026-10-20 (2 days ago)

## Sources

- [Repository: https://github.com/traefik/traefik](https://github.com/traefik/traefik)
- [License: https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/LICENSE.md](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/LICENSE.md)
- [Business model: https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/README.md](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/README.md)
- [Compose file: https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md)
- [Install step: https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md#L35-L49](https://github.com/traefik/traefik/blob/ee3b69d184037a7eaf3ef7212c8cadd347a75696/docs/content/getting-started/docker.md#L35-L49)

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Canonical: https://openlogs.fyi/tools/traefik  
Last updated: 2026-10-22